Monday, August 4, 2014

An artist's muse...

A muse is someone who has such an influence on another that he, she or it becomes the focus and inspiration for that person's work. Whether one’s muse is spiritual, an animal or a person, an artist should be indebted to their muse. Without the inspiration, encouragement, numerous day dreams they give the artist, there would be no art, no poems, no music…. Can you imagine? My favorite Muse story is Frida Kahlo’s. haha, it was unusual and quite dysfunctional… but fate at it’s finest. She first saw Diego Rivera, who was already an accomplished artist when he was painting a mural called “Creation” in her school’s auditorium. She would hide in the back and watch him for hours and became fascinated by him. Without going into their whole history (because I can…), after an accident that left her bedridden for a long time, she began painting, and eventually started showing her work to Diego. She admired him, wanted him to tell her she was talented, worthy of her talent... He encouraged her and worked with her. They not only ended up getting married, but they inspired each other. It is a fascinating story. Have you ever seen the movie “Frida”? If not, I suggest you do… it’s amazing. Actually, while watching this movie one day, it inspired me to apply my Lee art to her bold and colorful style. Lee's raw soulful voice and style just lends itself to this vibe. I started it two years ago. It has yet to be finished or titled…. Someday I will….the border is the design from one of his guitar straps, that alone took weeks...

So, a Muse should be celebrated and the story should be told. Maybe your muse will inspire others? Maybe your muse is so amazing it needs to be seen and heard by everyone…..so go listen to Lee DeWyze's album "Frames" ... You'll feel it too, I promise .

It is no secret that Lee is my muse. I could write a post every single day trying to explain it… but trust me… you still won’t get it. I really really wish I could explain it to you, but I just can’t. If I had a super hero powers...I'd want to be able to make you feel what I felt.... You'd be wowed....

One does not need to be a famous artist to have a muse, nor does there need to be a romantic aspect to the artist and muse equation. An artist’s bond and connection to their muse is exactly that… a connection. Take mine for instance…. I connect to the lyrics, how he puts them to music, when he performs them...the sound of his voice...it’s almost like the music is a security blanket, it’s comforting. There’s this invisible pull his music has on me…that’s the best way to describe it. Like, if I hear a song… or even think of a song… it’s almost this overwhelming & heavy sense of relief if that makes sense. It’s comfort, happiness and pride. As a fan, I am so proud to hear his music evolve exactly the way he wants to…. Being someone to also creates….. it’s an amazing feeling … so I get it…It makes not only my heart and ears happy… but I am happy for him as well…. Ya know? I guess I should stop here though because I can probably write an entire book about it and still not describe the feeling that makes Lee my muse…..

I’m no where near as great as all of those famous artists listed above and I never will be…. But it’s legit. It’s original work that is genuinely inspired by an amazing songwriter… no fillers….. just pure awe. I did a sketch a while back that best shows you that comfort and contentment I was talking about...you know when you see the pictures of artists with their muses? This is my version of that... And my favorite sketch out of all of them with a fitting quote...

To you this might be just two people sitting on a sofa...or a fangirl listening to her favorite singer... But it's supposed to represent a performing artist creating the music that inspires the creation of my art...and hopefully that art inspires others...and so on...and so on.... This sketch represents happiness and contentment ...and a continues circle of inspiration. I hope you can see that...